President Lai Meets Marshall Islands Foreign Minister, Hopes for Jointly Enhancing Economic Resilience

(CNA) President Lai Ching-te met with Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs Kalani Kaneko today and stated that in the face of rapid changes in the international political and economic landscape and challenges such as the restructuring of global supply chains, Taiwan and the Marshall Islands will continue to deepen cooperation to jointly enhance economic resilience, hoping to continue to support each other and walk side-by-side on the international stage.

President Lai met with Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs Kalani Kaneko (also translated as Kang Rende) at the Presidential Office today. President Lai said that for many years, whether serving as Minister of Health and Public Services or Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kaneko has continuously promoted exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands, and has strongly supported Taiwan's international participation, fully demonstrating the Marshall Islands government's emphasis on and support for the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The President pointed out that Taiwan and the Marshall Islands not only have deep connections through Austronesian culture but also share universal values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights. In recent years, the two countries have continuously accumulated cooperation results in fields such as agriculture, public health, education, women's empowerment, and responding to climate change. Now, with rapid changes in the international political and economic landscape and challenges such as global supply chain restructuring faced by various countries, Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with the Marshall Islands in various fields to jointly enhance economic resilience and create the well-being of the people.

President Lai mentioned that in April this year, he specially appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung as his envoy to lead a trade and economic delegation to visit the Marshall Islands, with the hope of further promoting economic and industrial exchanges between the two countries and jointly expanding areas of cooperation. In addition, he expressed sincere condolences on behalf of Taiwan again for the severe fire that occurred on Ibaj Island last month. Taiwan is willing to expand cooperation with the Marshall Islands, strengthen disaster prevention resilience together, and jointly protect the safety of the people and social stability, in addition to assisting with post-disaster reconstruction.

President Lai said he hopes Taiwan and the Marshall Islands will continue to support each other and walk side-by-side on the international stage. The President also mentioned that the Pacific Islands Forum will be held at the end of August this year, and expressed hope that with the support of the Marshall Islands and like-minded partners, Taiwan can contribute more to the peace and prosperity of the region.

In his speech, Kaneko mentioned that this year marks the 28th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and he is deeply proud of the enduring friendship between them. The relationship between the two countries is special and long-standing, not only rooted in the shared Austronesian cultural heritage but also further consolidated by mutual respect for democratic systems and the common adherence to core values such as freedom, justice, and the rule of law.

Kaneko emphasized that the Republic of the Marshall Islands will continue to firmly support Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations system and other regional and international organizations, and will continue to call on the United Nations to take immediate action to rectify the situation where 23.6 million people in Taiwan are unreasonably excluded from various UN mechanisms and activities. (Editor: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150701

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